SUMMER SCHOOL: HR (Q&A WITH be the change HR)

Times-a-flying because it’s already month three of our Summer School Blog Series! 

For this month’s guest teacher, we are super excited to introduce you to LeiLani Quiray, Founder & CEO of be the change HR, a human resources consulting firm servicing small to mid-size businesses. be the change HR is all about driving the change they wish to see in the world, not only through their excellent HR knowledge, but through philanthropy as well. The company channels 1% of their top line revenue to their Job Readiness Program, which provides free classes and coaching to human trafficking survivors and those transitioning out of homelessness. Dang, now that’s a trend we could all follow a little more closely! 

But back to the HR part! We had the pleasure of working with be the change HR in 2023 and we can’t say enough great things about their team and what they do! They are reliable, caring, calming, and fun – in fact those are all core values of the firm (and you know how much we LOVE core values) – and they can effortlessly guide you through any HR conundrum, no matter how sticky it may be! LeiLani herself is an HR guru having over 20 years of experience with companies of all different shapes and sizes and she is a philanthropy fanatic – hence the development of the Job Readiness Program! So, we are super excited that she has so graciously offered to share her expertise with you, our amazing readers! And now, I’m going to hand it over to LeiLani!

1. First off… what important piece did I miss in your intro (besides the fact that you like pineapple pizza🍕🤤<-- girl after my own heart!)? And what was the catalyst that led you to start be the change HR?   
• "Pineapple *does* belong on pizza! – I had already spent about 20 years in HR and most of my career moonlighted as a consultant. There were even a few consulting businesses I started in my 20s. The concept of starting a business was never new to me but the purpose behind this (be the change HR) one was. I had spent over a decade as a volunteer in several nonprofits doing workplace/job readiness classes for survivors of so many types. So, when I decided to launch be the change HR on the back end of a very tough in-house HR role I did it with two key factors in mind: HR and philanthropy. I also didn’t want a boss anymore. LOL! I don’t like being told what to do."
2. What are some key best practices when it comes to HR that a small business should implement from the get-go when bringing on team members? 
• "Such a great question! First and foremost, you need a solid regulatory foundation. Get educated on all the city, state and federal laws that apply to your size business and industry. Know what paperwork, legal agreements, posters, leave laws, paid leave apply to you. Understand the difference between 1099 and employee and exempt vs nonexempt."
• "Second, get very clear on your core values, your mission and your vision. Create a clear idea of the culture you want in your organization and then align everything you do to that."
• "Third, work on some basic programs that are building blocks of your employee experience and what will make it a great one (aka make YOU an employer of choice). Your talent acquisition strategy, onboarding program, performance management, benefits and compensation, Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging, and overall culture and engagement programs. It doesn’t have to be “fancy” to start…just some guidelines and a basic program. You can go back and make it more robust as you move along."
3. Do you have any tips or tricks on creating a strong company culture with a remote or hybrid team?
• "Yes! Be mindful of what that means for your organization.
• What ways can you bring people together in a remote environment?
• What tools are you using to do so?
• Is there a way to communicate outside of email?
• How can you create a company “breakroom” or area where people can chat?
• How can you have fun together remotely?
• Here at be the change HR, we chat in Slack on all kinds of things from fun memes to a “thank you for” channel. We do virtual events from team meditation to our favorite Drag Queen “Kay Sedia” coming to do bingo with us. We constantly ask ourselves “are we living our core values” across every avenue in this business. For you, you need to figure out what that means to you and your org.🙂"
4. What are the most critical HR compliance issues that small businesses are currently facing? How can they prepare or safeguard themselves against these? 
• "Ahhhhh, it’s always changing! Right now, a HUGE one is the FLSA minimum salary requirement for the salary basis test that classifies someone as “exempt.” On all our channels, I am doing (or did, depending on when you’re reading this) reviews of those amounts, rates and what that means for you. Said simply, if you have a salary-exempt employee who doesn’t make over this threshold, they need to be hourly nonexempt and this is always being raised in states like CA, WA, and NY/NYC, but now it’s happening on a federal level. Another one is wage transparency laws. Also said simply (because it’s not that simple but I really try and make it so), it’s the laws that require employers to post job pay, not ask prior job pay, and sending current employees pay ranges when requested. It’s not a federal law yet…but many states and cities have laws in play right now."
5. How should a small business approach creating a team member handbook and what needs to be included? Are there services out there for this?
• "Yeah, I can’t answer this fully (hahaha) because the answer IS the handbook. 😉 My advice here is either find a reputable online “wizard” to help you build it like SHRM’s tool, hire a great HR firm like ours, or have an employment attorney do it. ß (These are listed in order of cost as well). I would never encourage anyone to build one themselves unless they are a professional because there are so many intricate legal requirements that need to be weaved into the handbook."
6. Are there any required team training sessions that an employer must provide?
• "Yes. Some states and cities require some type of harassment prevention training. This is the most common training requirement. Some industries require specific training by industry like Anti-Trafficking/Trafficking Awareness Training.  Some states are now requiring Workplace Violence Prevention Training (CA for sure does)."
7. How can a small business best utilize outsourced HR services? What should they look for when selecting a firm?
   
• "Like any open role or work that needs to be done, first do an assessment of where your gaps are at and what you need. Any great HR firm can help you with understanding this even on a consultation call. Before you even hop on that call look up their reviews on Google, Glassdoor, or Indeed.  This will tell you how they’re doing with the public and internally with their own team. Check out their website and see what they're all about. And find their CEO or Owner on LinkedIn and other channels if you can, to see who’s driving this ship. Thennnn it’s time to meet them in person or via Zoom."
8. How can a small business best utilize outsourced HR services? What should they look for when selecting a firm?
   
• "Like any open role or work that needs to be done, first do an assessment of where your gaps are at and what you need. Any great HR firm can help you with understanding this even on a consultation call. Before you even hop on that call look up their reviews on Google, Glassdoor, or Indeed.  This will tell you how they’re doing with the public and internally with their own team. Check out their website and see what they're all about. And find their CEO or Owner on LinkedIn and other channels if you can, to see who’s driving this ship. Thennnn it’s time to meet them in person or via Zoom."
9. In terms of HR, what’s the one piece of advice you’d give to a small business owner that wants to scale quickly?
• "See answer in question two. 😉 I’d also add that your systems need to be able to keep up with the growth. Make sure your HCM (Human Capital Management) system aka your payroll tech has the bells and whistles to support scaling. Does it have automated onboarding, ESS (Employee Self Service), ATS (Applicant Tracking System) and other add-ons that can help in scaling?"
10. And lastly, if someone is interested in working with you and your team, what’s the best way to start the convo?!
• "Head to our website bethechangeHR.com and book a consult with us.  And swing over to our socials (bottom of the website home page) and give us a follow! We push out informative content all week.😊"